Avalanche vs. Stars Game 2 Prediction: Stanley Cup Playoff Odds
The Avalanche erased a three-goal deficit to pull off the 4-3 comeback win in overtime in Game 1, doing so for the third time in franchise playoff history and the first time since 1997.
The Stars are -125 favourites on home ice for Thursday’s Game 2, with the total set at 6.0 on the NHL odds.
Avalanche vs. Stars NHL Betting Odds
The Stars opened the second round, like they did in the first round, by dropping the opening game 4-3. Colorado battled back to erase the 3-0 deficit they faced after the first period and picked up their fifth win in a row. The Avalanche beat Dallas in three of four during the regular season and are now 7-2 versus the Stars dating back to last season.
With the Avs ahead 1-0 in the series, oddsmakers have moved them to the -120 favourites to win the series (were the underdog) pushing the Stars to +170 (previously -125). This series is still expected to go to six (+190) or seven games (+200) with Over 5.5 games favoured at -200. Find all our props on the NHL futures board.
Colorado Avalanche
After a shaky start in Game 1 of Round 1, allowing six goals versus the Jets, the Avalanche had another slow start in the series opener versus the Stars. Goalie Alexandar Georgiev allowed all three goals in nine minutes but turned it around in the final two periods and overtime to hold off the Stars.
A power play five minutes into the second period helped swing the momentum in Colorado’s favour as Valeri Nichushkin scored his league-leading eighth goal of the postseason to get the Avs on the board. Just minutes after that goal with the man advantage, the Stars sent the Avalanche on another power play, with Cale Makar (3) scoring to bring it within one. They kept the momentum rolling early in the third as Nathan MacKinnon (3) tied the game in the opening minute of the period. Miles Wood (3) used his blazing speed to blow past the Stars’ defence and tuck in the game-winner in overtime as the Avs to completed the comeback.
Makar ended the night with three points (1G, 2A), to pull himself into a tie for the lead in playoff points (12). Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon are now tied for second in points (11) after each picking up two in the game.
Dallas Stars
After a thriller of a Game 7 victory a few days earlier, the Stars kept rolling on a high through the first period on Tuesday. They scored three goals on nine shots and looked like they learned their lesson after dropping the first two games in Round 1.
That was not the case. The gruelling seven-game series could have played into the fatigue the team showed after the first period because they did not look good in the final two-thirds of this outing. They were held to just seven shots in the second and third periods combined and were outshot 26-22 through three and a half periods.
Game 1 was captain Jamie Benn’s best game this playoffs with a goal, an assist and two hits, while going 13-4 in the face-off circle. Fellow veteran Joe Pavelski finally got his first point of the postseason, assisting on Wyatt Johnston’s team-leading fifth goal of the playoffs.
Staying out of the box will be crucial for the Stars in this series as their penalty kill went 0-2 against the deadly power play of the Avalanche.
COL
DAL